With this selection of artworks spanning ten years of practice, Mark R. Smith continues his material investigation of repurposed clothing, textiles, and found photo imagery which he combines into complex personal and social narratives. Referencing vernacular quilts and decorative arts as well as iconic modernist abstraction, Smith pieces together interlocking grids of striped fabric to construct growth rings, cross-sections of urban grids and floorplans of communal dwellings. Within these settings he investigates how individuals navigate spiritual and public realms as well as uphold collective responsibilities amidst a culture in continual flux.
Of the exhibited works, Father: Late Arrival and Mother/Father: Long-lived But Not Forever examine loss, evolving gender roles and familial traditions within a given culture.The City is a Star, tracks the emergent surveillance state within social media. Spiritual and Practical acknowledges the dichotomies between adhering to belief systems while recognizing the reality of science.
Artists Reception
Sunday, October 15th, 2023, 5 to 7pm
at Oranj Studio
Location
Oranj Studio
726 SW Gaines St
Portland, OR 97239
503-719-5338
10a - 6p Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays
9a - 5p Saturdays
This exhibit is Courtesy of Elizabeth Leach
